Lawmakers say, 'Have a Coke and a tax'

SACRAMENTO  Californians would pay more for sugary beverages such as sodas, sweet teas and energy drinks under a proposal chugging through the legislature.

The sweetened beverage tax — which works out to a penny-per-ounce — is being hailed by supporters as a necessary tool to combat childhood obesity by reducing consumption. The tax is estimated to generate $1.7 billion a year for nutrition education, recreation programs and to improve the health of school meals.

Critics cast the measure as a money grab that would harm the slow-moving economy. They argue the proposal does little to boost personal responsibility and say it will take a combination of approaches, from more exercise to better food choices, to to tackle the obesity epidemic.

Sen. Bill Monning, the tax’s author, said the evidence is conclusive: Sugar-laden drinks are a chief contributor of increased calories leading to obesity and preventable chronic diseases among children.

Yes
16% (132)

No
84% (681)

813 total votes.

“By ignoring this reality, we not only sentence our children and future generations to a shorter life expectancy, we also incur billions of dollars in oftentimes preventable health care costs and lost economic output,” said Monning, D-Carmel.

The proposed beverage tax would require a two-thirds vote of the legislature. Opponents have sought to frame it as an example of Democrats overreaching after securing large majorities in both houses last November.

Looming special elections will determine whether they control a supermajority by the time the budget and taxes are voted on this summer.

Other Democratic-backed proposals include a 9.5 percent oil extraction tax to pay for education and state parks and a $2-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes to fund health-care programs.

Gov. Jerry Brown has said one of his biggest challenges will be to hold the line on spending by fellow Democrats after voters approved his Proposition 30 tax increases in November.

In California, at least five proposals to tax such beverages over the last two decades have been rejected. Sen. Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, opposed the latest levy in committee.

Drinks with fewer than 25 calories per 12 ounces would be exempt. The tax would add $1.02 per six-pack; $2.04 per 12-pack and $4.08 per case of 12 ounce cans, including CRV. The rate of $1.28 per gallon is more than six times higher than taxes on wine or beer, according to an analysis.

California’s measure follows New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s crusade against large-sized sodas. The regulations, celebrated by some as pioneering and pilloried by others as the nanny state run amok, were struck down in court. The ensuing legal battle is expected to outlast the mayor’s tenure.